Duly Noted
by Lolita-Lollipops
Summary: It was an average Wednesday morning when Tsukishima started receiving the notes. From who? He sure as hell didn't know. But he sure as hell was curious about the author.


When Tsukishima Kei walked into Karasuno High School on the day that would change his life, it was a normal sort of Wednesday morning. The sun was just rising, painting bright oranges and pinks on the canvas of the sky. The crows that took nest around Karasuno cawed, as if to greet the throes of students entering the school.

Someone jostled into Tsukishima. He glared at whoever they were, but they had already gone.

Tsukishima sighed. Altogether, a normal day.

He walked up the stairs into the school building, fiddling with his iPod all the while.

He put his shoes into his locker, and replaced them for the indoor slippers which Tsukishima found rather uncomfortable.

Pausing in front of his locker to remove his headphones and put them into his bookbag, Tsukishima caught sight of a familiar face.

"Good morning, Tsukki!" Yamaguchi Tadashi exclaimed, all too chipper this early in the morning.

"Morning," Tsukishima mumbled in response, buckling his bookbag and shouldering it.

They walked to their classroom, Yamaguchi twittering on about some show he had watched last night. Tsukishima only half-listened, nodding when socially appropriate.

Entering the classroom together, Yamaguchi finished talking. They parted ways, each heading to their own seat.

Sighing, Tsukishima slumped down in his seat, promptly removing his slippers.

As he toed the offending shoes, Tsukishima caught sight of the note.

It lay in the exact center of his desk, taped neatly to its surface. The words there were cleanly written, and Tsukishima peered through tired eyes, not processing the meaning of the words for a moment:

"Tsukishima, your eyes are as beautiful as an early morning sunrise on the beginning of a summer day."

It was unsigned.

Tsukishima stared at the note for a moment. People started filing into the classroom, but Tsukishima sure as hell couldn't hear them.

All he could do was stare, a feeling of (horror? excitement?) _something_ creeping up his spine at the note that was left upon his desk.

...

It only took until lunch for Yamaguchi to figure out that something was up.

"Tsukki," Yamaguchi began, face all serious as he undid his bento. "tell me what's wrong."

Tsukishima had only just reached the rooftop where he and Yamaguchi shared their meals along with several other groups of students. It was noon, the day was clear, cloudless. The sun shone bright on the white pavement of the rooftop, and breathed fire into Yamaguchi's honey-colored eyes.

Tsukishima knew that hiding things from Yamaguchi was pointless. Ever since Tsukishima had rescued him from bullies back when they were kids, Yamaguchi had been the most loyal of friends. If Yamaguchi began to suspect that someone was bothering Tsukishima, he wouldn't drop the subject until the truth was out.

Tsukishima sighed. Well, he'd do the same for Yamaguchi. Such was their friendship.

So, without a word, Tsukishima opened his bookbag and handed Yamaguchi the note that had been poisoning his mind since that morning.

Yamaguchi read it a couple of times, eyes widening.

"Tsukki, you have a secret admirer? Why didn't you tell me?"

"The note only came this morning," Tsukishima said, sitting himself down and opening his bento.

"Ah," Yamaguchi said, reading it once more before handing it back to Tsukishima. Tsukishima carefully slipped the note back in his bookbag and continued eating.

"Do you know who it is?" Yamaguchi eventually asked, after a few minutes of eating.

Tsukishima frowned, a sudden cold breeze biting at his cheeks. Fall had come quickly this year. Already, trees were beginning to lose their leaves. Tsukishima zipped up his uniform jacket before responding.

"No."

Yamaguchi frowned, canting his head to the side.

"Do you want to know?"

...

During practice, having a plan set in motion now, Tsukishima's mind was back on track, and he performed as usual.

Well, maybe a little better than usual, as he got a congratulatory pat on the back from the captain. Maybe he should tone it down tomorrow. So they wouldn't get their hopes up about him.

Tsukishima changed quickly, and was about to head home, but was stopped by a touch to his elbow.

He looked down (down...down...) to the offender, Hinata Shouyou, who gazed up at him with a meek look in his eyes.

"What," Tsukishima barked out. He had really been looking forward to a nice, hot shower once he got home and Hinata was hindering him from that.

Hinata squawked at the scary expression on Tsukishima's face, hiding behind Kageyama, who was in the middle of changing.

Kageyama met Tsukishima's gaze levelly.

Eventually, he spoke:

"N-nice job. Today. At practice." Kageyama said simply, his face contorting into something resembling a smile as he said that.

Was it really so hard for Kageyama to give out a simple compliment? What a dumbass.

"Heh. Kageyama can't compliment," Hinata sneered, and Kageyama started bickering with Hinata.

Geez. When they were like that, they were really like an old married couple. It was disgusting. They had also been practically inseparable at practice today.

It was like they were dating or something.

Disgusted with himself, Tsukishima left while he could, vowing to never over-perform in practice again.

...

As Tsukishima walked home, he went over the plan again in his head.

1) Wait a week. See if the note comes again on Wednesday.

2) If it does come again on Wednesday, the week after that, come to school early, to catch the admirer in their act!

3) ...? profit

Tsukishima observed his shadow, stretching long as the sun set. It looked inhumanly tall.

Who could like someone like him, with his long, gangly body and mean personality?

He sure as hell wanted to find out.


End file.
